As the match gets underway, here are the teams…

Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Richards, Lescott, Kolarov; Milner, Barry, Y.Toure, Silva; Balotelli, Tevez.

Sunderland: Mignolet; Gardner, Rose, Cuellar, O’Shea; Johnson, Colback, Larsson, McClean; Sessegnon, Fletcher.

Drama in the opening minutes as Carlos Cuellar scythes down Carlos Tevez, after he is freed by a pass by Mario Balotelli. Cuellar is booked, but he could easily have walked. Nasty.

GOAL! Balotelli and Aleksander Kolarov have a discussion over who will take the free-kick. The defender wins, steps up, and whacks it past Mignolet. Stunning free-kick from the City full-back.

Fletcher draws a free-kick from David Silva with some nice footwork. The free-kick falls to Sessegnon, but his snap-shot flies over Joe Hart’s bar.

It’s 16 games since Sessegnon’s last goal, so he’s due. As, surely, is any Sunderland player that isn’t Steven Fletcher. You know the stat. We won’t repeat it.

A worrying thing for any Irish fan to see James McClean limping after a tackle, before the realisation dawns that he’ll never start against Germany anyway.

Sergio Aguero is warming up, and it’s only 16 minutes in. Mario seems to be in full on ‘don’t give a crap mode,’ which means he’ll probably get a hat-trick.

He fires this effort well over the Sunderland bar.

City nearly make it 2-0! Tevez somehow finds Zabaleta, who ghosts in behind Danny Rose, but Mignolet saves superbly.

Sunderland dither in defence and Tevez gets the ball back but drags his shot wide of the far post. This is already looking easy for Roberto Mancini’s side.

Sunderland give away another dangerous free-kick after a foul on Balotelli. Kolarov steps up again…

The wall does its job.

A word of caution amid all the City pressure:

A good move from City as James Milner makes the most of a Colback mistake, gets in a cross, but Gardner gets in there just ahead of Balotelli.

Here is the opening goal, scored by Kolarov. It’s a cracker…

Tevez is working off his socks to get City’s second. The 28-year-old tries to wriggle through the entire Sunderland defence but his final effort is blocked. Balotelli follows it up with a chance of his own, but no dice.

After Tevez fails to connect in a great position from Gareth Barry’s ball, Balotelli tries to win a free-kick from John O’Shea. Lee Probert is having none of it, and play is waved on.

City are completely dominant, they can sense a goal, but Sunderland’s rearguard action is holding firm. Just over five minutes to half-time.

Barry shoots from distance but drags his effort wide.

Steven Fletcher has had scraps, but has just had his first effort on target in this season’s Premier League that hasn’t gone in! The ball deflects off Joleon Lescott and into the grateful hands of Hart.

Larsson dinks a pass into Fletcher, who gets the most deft of touches. Too deft, in fact, as Hart gathers easily.

We have half-time, and Kolarov’s brilliant free-kick divides the sides.

Time for tea.

Nothing to do with this match – the teams are just coming back on the pitch – but Alan Shearer has said that he would be interested in talking to Blackburn. Maybe Roy Keane could be his assistant, as a shot to nothing.

The match restarts.

Sunderland’s best chance of the game, as Larsson sits the ball up for Fletcher. The Scottish striker had too long, if anything, and the volley is blocked.

Two great chances for City!

First, Yaya Toure is played in by delightful David Silva flick, but his shot is straight down the throat of Mignolet.

City come again and Micah Richards thinks he’s scored, before Danny Rose clears off the line for the visitors. The second half has already been better than the entire first.

A great save from Joe Hart as Fletcher heads to the corner from Sessegnon’s cross, but he was offside anyway.

Fletcher, by the way, is bound to score – I replaced him with Demba Ba in my Fantasy League team this morning.

Sergio Aguero is about to come on, hopefully in place of the dreadful Balotelli.

As if to prove my point, Balotelli misses from a delightful Kolarov cross, is immediately replaced by Aguero and walks straight down the tunnel.

Great save by Mignolet as Richards – City’s most potent attacking force in this second half – heads towards the top corner.

Goal! Sergio Aguero does what Balotelli couldn’t even come close, as he applies a clinical near post finish to another splendid Kolarov cross. The City left-back, as well as scoring the opener, has been very impressive today.

Ashley Cole and John Terry both start for Chelsea today.

Nice lads.

The replay of Aguero’s goal shows just how poor McClean was in allowing Kolarov to get away from him – it really hasn’t been a good day for the Irish winger.

Adam Johnson goes off, and it looks like he’s sick. The former City winger has been completely anonymous today. Louis Saha comes on.

Aguero and Tevez combine again brilliantly, as the latter shoots just wide. City are strolling.

Tevez gets free again and Mignolet flies out of his box. The ball falls to Silva who tries to chip over the Sunderland defence and their flailing goalkeeper. The ball hits the bar and the danger passes.

Sunderland are under siege, and Richards finds the palms of Mignolet again with another header.

Here, have a look at City’s superb second for yourselves…

Colback challenges Touré in the box and the Ivorian does a magnificent turn-turn-pivot-turn-sashay-turn without getting any change from Lee Probert.

A bit ridiculous.

Ten minutes remaining in the match and the City players look a bit jaded. Things have quietened down, while Sessegnon is replaced by Fraizer Campbell.

Carlos Tevez is replaced by Gael Clichy. Great performance from the City striker, but no goal today.

Gardner is booked after taking Kolarov down. The former Birmingham player has struggled, out of position at right-back.

And from the free-kick? Goal! Kolarov leaves it for Milner, who blasts it through the fingers of Mignolet from a tight angle.

Mignolet stays big, does the starfish and saves from Aguero, who is itching for his second goal of the game.

It’s all over – goals from Kolarov, Aguero and Milner have given City the win, and they have their first clean sheet of the season.

It could have been double figures if not for the brilliant Simon Mignolet, while the rest of the Sunderland team were pretty average.

Now, time for the 3pm kick-offs…